Automatic hen&#39;s nest.



PATENTED P33. 6, 1.906;.

A. ABSHIER. AUTOMATIC HBNS NESTh APIPLIGA-TIQN IfILED JUNE 13, 1905.

Inventor,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALFRED J. ABSHIER, F. DIEHLSTADT, MISSOURI.

' AUTOMATIC Hews NEST.

Specification of Letters Patent.

- Patented Feb. 6,1906.

Application filed June 13, 1905. $erial No- 265,108.

To all whom, it may concern Be it known that I, ALFRED J. ABSHIER, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Diehlstadt, in the county of Scott and State of Missouri, have invented a new and useful Automatlc Hens Nest, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to nests for hens and other domestic fowls, and has for its object to provide a simple, inexpensive, and efficient evice of this character in which. the weight of the hen automatically closes the door of the hen-house, so as to prevent the entrance of other fowls while the'hen is sitting.

A further object of the invention 1s to provide means for automatically moving the door to open positionwhen the hen leaves the nest and means for permitting free vertical' movement of the nest and actuatingplat-- form.

A still further object is to generally improve this class of devices so as to add to their utility and durability as well as to reduce the cost of the manufacture.

'With these and other objects in view. the

invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying. drawings, and poihted out in the claims hereto appended, it being understood that various changes in form, proportion, and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

the accompanying drawings, forming a part-of this specification, Figure 1 is a per spective view of a hens nest constructed in accordance with my invention, the pivoted lid or top of the hen-house being broken away to more clearly show the interior construction. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view showin in full lines the door closed and in dotted lines the door open.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in both the figures of the drawings.

The improved device consists of a box or casing 5, which may be constructed of wood or other suitable material and which constitutes the hen house, said casing bein lprovided with a hinged top or cover '6 andl'iav ing an opening 7, formed in one end thereof,

which is closed by a swinging door 8, pivoted at 9 to the casing, as shown. The casing 5 is preferably divided by a transverse. partition 5 into a plurality of communicating com-,

partments, and mounted for vertical movement in the rear compartment of the henhouse or casing is a. nest-supporting platform 10, designed to receive the straw or other material of which the nest is formed.

Secured to the bottompf the platform, at

the rear wall of the hen-house, being then' passed downwardly beneath and across the platform 10 and thence upwardly and forwardly through the eyes 17 and 18 to an eye 19, secured to the pivoted door and preferably disposed in almement with the eye 15. It will thus be seen that when-the hen enters the nest the weightof the fowl on the platform 10 will de ress the latter, and thereby cause the fiexib e cords to move the pivoted door to closed position and hold the door in that position so long as the hen is on the nest.

As a means for automatically opening the door there is provided a vertically-movable actuating-platform 20, to which is secured by a pin 21 a cord 22, which passes upwardly through an eye 23, secured to the side wall of the hen 7 house, and thence downwardly through an eye 24 and a similar eye 25, secured to 'the pivoted edge of the door 8, and

thence beneath the pivoted edge of said door to a bracket 26, secured to the outer face'of the door at a point adjacent. the free end thereof. The cord then passes throu h an opening 27 in the front wall of the hen- 101186 and thence upwardly through the eye 24 and rearwardly to a similar eye 28, thence dowm wardly beneath and across the platform 20 and upwardly through an eye 29, secured to theside wall of the hen-house opposite the eye After engaging the eye 29 the cord 22 passes forwardly through an eye 29 and downwardly through an eye 30 on the pivoted edge of the door to a corresponding bracket 31 and thencercarwardly through an opening 31 in the front wall of the casing and upwardly to the eye 29, the end of the cord being threaded through an eye and fastened to the bottom of theplatform by:

the pin 21. The lower Wall of the opening 7 is formed with spaced recesses or depressions 32 for the reception of the eyes and when" the door 8 is closed. it will, thus he seen that when the hen leaves the nest and steps upon the platform 20. the latter will be depressed, thereby causing thefcord 22 to exact a downward pull on the brackets and move the door to open position andat the same time by reason of flexible connection hetweenthe'door'and the platform 10 move the latter platform to elevated position or in position to again close the door as soon as the hen enters the nest. i

As a means for assisting the hen in opening the door shouldthe latter for any cause have a tendency to stick the door is provided at its free'e-dge ithan opening 33, through which the fowl may project itshead and bear upon the door in the act of leaving the hen-house The side Walls of the hen-house are provided with a series ofventilatingppenings 34, and formed in said side Walls below the platforms 10 and 20. are openings to permit the esor lowered cape of air when said platforms are depressed brackets 26 and 31 also serve as a.

means for supporting the free end of the piv oted door when the latter is in open position,

as best shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings.

From. the foregoing descriptionit is thought that the construction and operation of the device )Vill be readily understood by those skilled in the art, and further description thereof is deemed unnecessary. i

Havin thus described the invention, What iscla-imed is 7 I 1. In a device of the classtlescribed, a casing provided With a pivoted door having an opening formed in its freeend, a nest-supporting platform arranged withinthe'casing and adapted to close the door when the platform is depressed, and an actnatim platform operatively connected With the our for opening nest-supporting platform. v

2. Ina device of the class described, a casing provided with a movable door, a vertically-inovable nest-supporting platform, arranged-Within the casing and adapted to close the'door when the platform is depressed, and

the latter and simultaneously elevating the an actuating-platform operatively connected with the door for openin the latter and si 1 multaneously elevating 1e nest supporting the platform, there being an opening formed operatively connected to the door for open.

ing the latter and simultaneouslyelevating the nest-supporting platform. l i

4. In-a device of the class described, a casingprovided with a pivoted door, a nest-supporting platform mounted for vertical movement Within the casing, a fiexible'connection between the platform and the innerface ofthe door for closing the latter Whenthe platform is depressed, an actuating-platform coacting with the nestsupporting platform and movable simultaneously in the opposite l direction, and a flexible connection between theactuating-platforin and the outer face of the door'for opening the latter.

5. in a device of'the clas's'described, a casing provided with a pivoted door having an opening in its free edge, brackets secured to the door on each' side of the opening and adapted to support the doorwhen in lowered position, a nest-supporting platform arranged Within the casing and adaptedto close the door i when the platform is depressed, an actuating-platform mounted for vertical'movem'ent vvithinfthe casing, and a flexible connection between 'the actuating platform "and "the brackets for opening the door. K 6. In a device of'thehlassdescribed, a casing having a pivoted door, a partition eXtend ing transversely of the casing and dividing the latter into a plurality of communicating compartments, guiding devices secured 'to the side nailed the casing, a nest-supporting platform mounted for'vertical movement in one of the compartments, a flexible medium extending across the bottom of the platform and passing through the guiding devices for connection with the inner'face' of the door for closing the latter, an actuating-platform disposed Within the opposite compartment, and a flexible connection between'the actuatingplatform and the outerface opening saiddoor.

of the door for i 7. In a device of the class described, a cas ing provided with a downwardlyswinging pivoted door havlng an opening formed in its free end, brackets'secured "to the door, a parti'tion' extending transversely of the casing andldividing the latter into a-plurality of communinn ting compartments, a nest-supporting platform mounted for vertical movement in one of the compartments, :1, flexible connection between the platform and the inner face 5 ot the door for closing thelatter, anactuating-platform mounted within the opposite compartment, and a flexible medium secured to the actuating-platform and extending beneath the pivoted edge of the door for engagement with the brackets whereby the down IO Ward movement of the actuatingphitform will automatically open the door.

ALFRED J. ABSHIER. Witnesses:

W. Kmxm'rnxox,

S. F. REXER. 

